SONSHINE: THE HOUR COMETH AND NOW IS ~ "The Dispersion of His Sons"

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But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. John 4:23,24

As we work our way through this series to understand how we shall worship Him in spirit and truth in the dawning new age I felt led to share something of what I see happening in the Kingdom today. A few weeks ago God began to speak to me the word "dispersion." Dispersion is defined as spreading widely, scattering, breaking up and scattering and the process of distributing over a wide expanse of space. Within the last decade or so I believe we have been seeing a quiet dispersion of God's sons to the four corners of the earth, as in "one of a city and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion" (Jer 3:14). God is calling many of us unto Himself and out of our comfort zones made up of family, friends and church.

A few days ago, I sat down to write in the morning and it was not to be as my day ended up unexpectedly spent in prayer for Joian, Misheal and the rest of the family. I truly don't choose such ways of spending my days but I have learned over the last few years that prayer is my first most calling and a gift given to me by God. I truly find more purpose and fulfillment in prayer than with anything else I do in this walk and this seems ever more so with time. I was burdened for the Schroff ladies as I saw the beginnings of a separating and scattering of this most tight knit of families. I felt the hardship and sorrow as Misheal left her mom, sisters and friends to follow her husband across the country in search of new opportunity. However, more so, I thrilled to envisioned this separation as an exciting new venue for this family to come together in Christ within wondrous new realms of deeper spiritual fellowship not even imagined before.

As I prayed and meditated on this ongoing dispersion I was also reminded of another Word God gave me last week. I shared this with Joian the other night about how hard it was getting for me to write because it seemed my words were often so strong. I recounted to her how I was feeling very frustrated about writing when I woke up one morning and the Holy Spirit quickened me to speak truth no matter what and know that much of which Joian and I share during our walk is for remembrance in a coming day. Having said all that, please allow me to share some scripture that came to mind with regard to the subject of "our dispersion."

And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him. And he said unto Abram, "know of a surety that thy seed shall be sojourners in a land that is not theirs; . . . they shall afflict them four hundred years; . . . and afterward they shall come out with great substance" (Gen. 15:12-14).

This is taken from the scene of God's covenant ceremony with Abraham and in it the "father of faith" hears from God out of his darkness. How often this is the way in which we hear and see God, as He gloriously reveals Himself and His plans for us in a new light while we suffer the gloom of trial. Here God shoots it straight with Abraham and tells him that there will be a suffering state of his seed for a period of time and then would come the promised "great substance." We must "first suffer then reign" and such is the pattern set for us through the lives of Abraham, the innumerable O.T. patriarchs and matriarchs, and Christ. In opposition the carnal man desires the immediate gratification of worldly honor and prosperity and for decades, if not centuries, the apostate church has shamelessly soft peddled the gospel promoting such rewards. The truth of the matter is that the blessed and the beloved of God are often sorely afflicted and if you have walked very long in a deep relationship with Christ, you know this as truth. Lettie Cowan, a missionary to China once wrote, "God's promises seem to wait for the pressure of pain to trample out their richest juice as in a wine-press. Only those who have sorrowed know how tender is the "Man of Sorrows."

I truly believe if God has called you out of this age as a son you you will eventually find your way to the place where you will cry out to the Father from the depth of your soul, "give me Christ, whatever else You deny me."

If God seems to be calling you away from the camp and unto Himself, be encouraged. It is that which we are called to place upon the altar, in pursuit of Him, that will come back later as treasured glory. Our joy will be immeasurable and His peace we can receive today.

"I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord" Phil. 3:8

Jack

(note: Lord willing, in the next few days
I will add more to this, of which I believe is
being revealed, as to "the dispersion of His sons."

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Joian Ruth Schroff

God is good. And Joian, more than any of us, knows this. Our sister, and my best friend, rests in the Father's bosom, today. Dear Joian's sojourn, on earth, ended early last winter, after a period of illness.

Together, Joian and myself began "SONSHINE" in "07". Last June, we took our rest from the blog.

Great battles, were waged this last year, by both Joian and myself. One was taken and one was left. Neither, the taking, nor the leaving, lacks in His perfect providence, afforded each. I can't explain, nor fully understand, how each can be perfect. Never the less, I do know, Joian understands it perfectly.

Today, Joian, more than any, knows God is good.

Jack

PS. Thoughts of your joyful rest relieve my tears, tonight. I miss you, my friend. I'll see you soon.

Great Quotes

Those who believe they believe in God but without passion in the heart, without anguish of mind, without uncertainty, without doubt, and even at times without despair, believe only in the idea of God, and not in God, Himself. Madeleine L' Engle
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"If anything about my salvation or right standing with God depends on my faithfulness, I'm toast, damned to hell." Gavazzoni
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Any infinite Being who feels it is their duty to torture me for eternity, should switch to decaf. Joe
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Everyday people are straying away from the church and going back to God. -- Lennie Bruce
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"He took responsibility for all the evils that have befallen man that day He gave His life. This has never been adequately appreciated by religion. It needs to be appreciated." (Roy)
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"Isn't that what man always wants- a divine force he can control? That's actually the definition of witchcraft." (Florian)
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"Christianity is not about polyester and pot roast. It's about Christ and what He's doing in you and me at the moment." (Holly)
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"It's his life for ours. We die, he lives, and then the mystery is that we live again." (Joian)
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"God's Spirit, is a pure motive" (Cardinal)
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"I would rather train twenty men to pray, than a thousand to preach. A minister's highest mission ought to be to teach his people to pray." (H. MacGregor)
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Pretty soon, everybody will get what they deserve, which is Salvation, Reconciliation, Restitution, Restoration, Immortality and Incorruption - now ain't that the coolest thing! (Keith)
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The bible is not an owners manual and trying to apply it to our lives reeks of salvation by works. (Cam)
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I live all the daytime
In faith and in might
And in holy rapture
I die every night (Novalis)
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Where shall we find an abandonment that is as comprehensive as the will of God. (Fenelon)
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He wanted no one but God to witness what he did, just as the only reward he expected was God Himself.(description of Bro. Lawrence)
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The humility of the cross became more desirable to him than all the glory the world had to offer. (description of Bro. Lawrence)
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Prayer is helplessness casting itself upon power; it is misery seeking peace; it is unholiness embracing purity; it is hatred desiring love. Prayer is corruption panting for immortality; it is the eagle soaring heavenward; it is the dove returning home; it is the prisoner pleading for release; it is the mariner steering for the haven amid the dangerous storm; it is the soul, oppressed by the world, escaping to the empyrean, and bathing its ruffled plumes in the ethereal and the divine.(unknown)